1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of firearms, and in particular in the field of safety devices for handguns.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
There are many instances where it is desirable for a person to maintain a handgun in a loaded condition while ensuring its safety against inadvertent discharge. For instance, law enforcement personnel would enjoy improved readiness and safety if, instead of having to unload their handguns at home, only to have to reload them again prior to returning to work, they could safely stow their loaded weapons in a fashion that prevents inadvertent discharge by themselves or others. Similarly, some airline pilots have trained and serve as Federal Flight Safety Officers, in which capacity they are required to carry a loaded handgun with them while serving on aircraft crews. In order to prevent inadvertent discharge of these weapons, FFDOs are required to maintain their weapons in a locked condition that prevents their firing. For example, it is common to maintain safety of airborne handguns through use of safety holsters that enable a padlock to be placed and locked in such a way that the padlock's shaft passes behind a weapon's trigger, rendering it unfireable. The padlock also passes through special holes in the safety holster so that the weapon cannot be removed from the holster without unlocking the padlock. This arrangement, however, has proved problematic, since it is possible for padlocks to be incorrectly placed in front of a weapon's trigger (rather than behind it), with the unfortunate side effect that, by firmly seating the weapon in the holster, the weapon may inadvertently discharge and possibly cause serious injury or damage to an aircraft.
What is needed is a method for lockably securing loaded handguns in a way that combines portability, safety against inadvertent firing, and security against tampering.